Sarah drove into the city toward John. What a difference twenty-four hours made. She’d gone from despondent to joyous. Even her cheek couldn’t spoil her mood.
Traffic on a Saturday was practically nonexistent, making it easy to spot a dark blue BMW in her rear view mirror. Damn. Was Steven following her now? After the stunt he had pulled the night before, she couldn’t be sure. The man was seriously crazy.
She yanked the steering wheel left at the next street, unintentionally cutting off another driver. The long blare of a horn made her jump. Her heart nearly stopped and she pulled over. Every cell in her body shook. She looked out the back window. The BMW drove on without turning. God, what a fool. She could have been in an accident and for what? All because she thought she saw Steven?
After taking several deep breaths, she continued on her way. By the time she arrived at Wings, she was back to being her plain old paranoid self. She parked in front and took one last glance up and down the street for the BMW.
Yeah, she was an idiot. Not a car in sight.
She approached the door John had said to use. Remembering the cave-like environment, she hesitated for a moment. She really needed to get her shit together. It was daylight. She’d be able to spot anyone lurking inside before she closed the door. She slowly turned the knob and pulled. Instead of darkness greeting her, the stairwell was brightly lit. She placed her hand over her heart and smiled.
She’d climbed partway when John appeared at the top. His grin brought on one of her own.
“Everything okay? You look a little rattled.”
Boy, he was observant. “I thought I saw Steven and overreacted. Turned out to be a false alarm.”
He frowned at her statement. Maybe she better not mention Steven again. John had invited her over for a movie, not to talk about unpleasant things. When she reached the top, he took her hand. She gasped. Would she ever get used to the sensations he sparked with a simple touch?
He glanced down at their hands. “Did I hurt you?” He opened his hand to let go, but she held on.
“No. Must have been static.”
As always, John held the door for her. Unwilling to release his hand, she entered and pulled him behind her. The longer she held on, the more accustomed her body became. Her heart rate slowed and her breathing was almost normal.
“Why don’t you sit and tell me what movie you’d like to see. Of course, I’m going to need my hand back to get it.” She smiled at his tease and reluctantly let go. As soon as she did, her body missed him.
She placed her belongings on the kitchen counter before she sat on the couch. “What do you have?”
John went to the entertainment center and opened a cabinet stuffed full of DVDs. He started calling out titles and she picked one she’d never seen before.
Once he inserted the DVD into the player, he sat beside her and took her hand again. Her heart jumped in her throat and she breathed unevenly. If she didn’t watch it, he might think she was having a heart attack. Then again, maybe she affected him the same. She hoped so.
He smiled briefly, then furrowed his brow as he gently probed the bruise on her cheek. “It doesn’t look so bad today.”
Crap. Why did he have to notice at all?
“That’s because I’m wearing make-up.” She only winced a little, but enough to cause him to stop.
“Sorry. Well, the swelling’s down anyway. Do you mind if I look at your neck?”
She rolled the turtleneck down, feeling like a patient at a doctor’s office.
He gently probed the area. “Does it still hurt?”
“Just a little. At least it doesn’t hurt to swallow anymore. You know, you’d make a good doctor. You have a very nice bedside manner.”
“You think so?”
She smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I do.”
While she sat beside him watching the movie, he never released her hand. He would occasionally rub his thumb across her knuckles and it took a lot of effort on her part to pay attention to the film. They were sitting close together, her leg next to his, her shoulder against his arm. This was so much better than the theater. No armrest got in the way. Would he kiss her? Would he try?
The movie ended and John kissed the back of her hand before releasing it and standing. Well, he’d kissed her. Just not where she’d hoped. But while kissing him would most definitely be better than great—his touch titillated and then some—she should take it slow. Why scare him off again? Besides, she had rushed into things with Steven and that turned out disastrous.
“What are your plans for this evening?” Sarah asked. “I know you said you wanted to surprise me, but can I at least get a hint?”
John put the DVD away and then sat back beside her. “It’s not so much that I wanted to surprise you, I just wanted to tell you in person. Anyway, there’s an ice skating rink down by the river and I’d like to take you.”
“Ice skating? Outside? Isn’t it kind of cold out there?” Then there was the possibility of falling and making a fool of herself.
“That’s why I told you to wear layers. Once you move around, you’ll warm up okay. It’s really quite fun, but if you don’t want to do it, I’ll understand.”
Well that was a surprise. He wasn’t coercing her. Yet. “It’s my choice?”
“If you don’t want to go, we can find something else to do. But I think you’ll have fun if you try.”
Falling on ice didn’t sound like fun, it sounded downright painful. “I don’t know how to ice skate.” There, she’d said it. Let the embarrassment commence.
“Hey, don’t worry about that. I can show you how and I promise, I won’t let you fall. So, did you want to grab something to eat downstairs before we go? We still have a couple of hours before sunset.”
Sunset? “Why can’t we go now? While the sun’s out?”
Frowning, he stood and started pacing. What the hell had she said to get him all riled up and could she take it back?
“Uh, yeah, about that.” He ran his hand through his hair. “You see, Sarah, I can’t, I mean, the sun, uhh.”
“Oh heavens, just spit it out, John. What’s the problem?”
He stopped. “I can’t go out into the sun. I-I’m allergic.”
“You’re what?”
He sat back beside her. “I know, I should have told you sooner. I just didn’t think it would come up this soon. I mean, you work during the day. I hope this doesn’t change anything…”
It all made sense. She put her fingers to his lips and little sparks of electricity raced through her hand. His eyes widened and he gasped. Damn, that wasn’t her intention. She put her hand down. “Is that really why you tried to break it off? Because you can’t go out during the day?”
He nodded and grabbed her hand as if he wanted more of the same. Whether or not he felt anything, she certainly did. He was like a drug. If she didn’t watch out, she’d be addicted. That’s if she wasn’t already.
“I guess we’ll wait until sundown, then.”
He smiled like a kid at Christmas and it was infectious. “Thank you. You’ll have fun tonight, I promise.”
Ice skating still scared the crap out of her, but how bad could it be if he held her? And he’d certainly keep her warm. Okay, maybe ice skating wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
“Did you mention something about food?”
As John led them to the bar, Sarah got a whiff of grilled hamburgers and her stomach growled. Oh God, she hoped he hadn’t heard it, but his staring at her with one eyebrow raised told her otherwise. She shrugged. “I ate a light lunch.”
“Well, then let’s get Pete to fix you up something.”
Except for the music playing, the place was practically a library compared to the last time. Only two people sat at the bar and four at a table.
“Are Saturday afternoons usually this slow?”
“Not always, but there aren’t any games on today. Next Sunday it’ll probably be busy with the Super Bowl. Sometimes I enjoy it when it’s quiet. It can get hectic in here when a game is on.” He snatched a menu and showed her to a table in the back, near the pool table, where it was more private. “Is this okay?”
She nodded. He held the seat for her. Who did that anymore? He made her feel like royalty. She took the seat and he sat in the one next to her. He handed her the menu.
“I’m afraid my selection is limited, but if there’s something you’d like that isn’t on the menu, Pete can probably whip it up, provided I have the ingredients.”
She looked over the menu. “What are you going to have?”
“Nothing.”
“What, don’t you eat?”
“Oh, I eat. I’m just on a special liquid diet. But don’t let me stop you. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable eating in front of me. I’m okay with it, really.”
Special liquid diet? Well, whatever kind of diet he was on certainly did wonders for him. He looked healthy. And strong. And beautiful. Hell, maybe she should try his diet, but right now her stomach craved real food and Pete’s hamburger won out.
* * * *
John nearly pinched himself. No day could be so perfect, could it? Sarah filled a part of him that had been empty too long, and now he couldn’t imagine his life without her. To think he’d almost let her go.
Heather winked at him and gave him a nudge as she placed Sarah’s meal on the table. What? No sly remark? She went on her way instead.
Sarah took a bite of her sandwich and her eyes lit up. “Wow, this is probably the best burger I ever ate. Pete is a good cook.”
“That’s what I heard.”
She looked at him with widened eyes. “You sound like you’ve never tried his food. Do you want a bite?”
It smelled tasty and if he hadn’t come up with that stupid liquid diet excuse, might have taken a bite. Too late now. “Thank you, but I’m not hungry.”
She hit her forehead with the heel of her hand and laughed. “Oh, that’s right. Liquid diet, duh! I’m really not as dense as I seem.”
John laughed with her. He liked how she could be silly with herself and didn’t seem to take things personally.
Might she be able to handle the truth? Yeah, if he lived in Fantasy Land. He quickly squashed that thought.
At a quarter to six, John suggested they leave. It was funny how she agreed to go, but still looked scared. He hoped she felt differently once he got her out there.
Back upstairs, he helped her with her coat and smiled when she zipped it up high. Her pink scarf peeked out through the neck opening and she placed the earmuffs over her ears. The ensemble was complete with her pink knit hat and pink gloves. She certainly looked cozy and he hoped she stayed warm enough. He didn’t need this to backfire because of the weather.
Without thinking, John nearly grabbed his light jacket, but quickly came to his senses and donned his winter gear. He followed her down, but snuck in front to open the door. After he locked up, he offered his arm. Her gaze darted down the street before landing on him.
“What’s the matter?”
“We’re walking?”
“I thought so. It’s not that far.”
“Oh, okay.” She took his arm and snuggled close.
If this was what he got for walking in the cold with her, he’d take it.
Two blocks later, they arrived at the rink. He obtained her shoe size and left her huddled on the bench while he went to the rental booth. He passed a temperature sign. Thirty-two degrees. Hopefully it wouldn’t get too much colder; he wanted her to have fun. When he returned, he handed her the skates. She eyed them diffidently before taking them.
“You know how to put them on, right?”
“I think so.”
“The trick is to lace them up tight. That way your ankles are supported better.”
She nodded and he quickly put his skates on. Once he finished, he checked on her. She had tangled the long laces and was tugging on a knot. He knelt in front of her and took over, noticing the pink socks.
“Kittens today, huh?” How many types did the woman own?
She shrugged. “Guess I was in a kitten mood.”
“Let me know if it’s too tight, I don’t need to cut off your circulation.”
“Okay.”
Sarah was rather quiet, but John supposed it had more to do with the weather or her fear of another attack than anything else. But if that was the case, wouldn’t she have asked to drive?
He finished lacing her boots, rose, and offered his hands. She grabbed on tightly and stood, wobbling on her skates. He slid his arm around her waist and steadily walked her over to the rink.
She stopped at the ice’s edge.
“Come on, Sarah. I promise, I won’t let you go.”
Her whole body shook and the scent of fear emanated from her. Maybe it wasn’t just the cold. Maybe it was the skates. She wrapped her arm around his waist and her other hand held onto the arm he had wrapped around her. She must have thought he would let her go. No way would he do that. He had promised. Plus, he enjoyed holding her.
She placed one foot onto the ice, then the other, as if she were testing its solidity. Her legs were a bit wobbly at first, and her feet scissored a few times, but she managed to attain her balance. Soon she was gliding, and with each glide, her grip became less tight.
At the mid-way point she said, “I think I’ve got it now. Just hold my hand, okay?”
As much as he hated letting her go, her confidence was more important. He slowly released her waist and held her hand. Her feet scissored briefly, but she brought them under control. Each unaided glide across the ice made her smile grow. A couple of times she lost her balance and squeezed his hand, but for the most part she was doing well on her own. He was proud of her.
As they came full circle, she raised her free hand and cheered, “I made it!”
The movement caused her to lose her balance and her feet slipped out from under her. Her free hand clawed at thin air and he quickly grabbed her around the waist, steadying her.
“You kept your promise,” she said, holding tightly onto his arms.
“I always do.”
Her feet were still slipping and she laughed. “Maybe I should have waited to celebrate after I sat down.”
“You want to celebrate?” He lifted her enough to clear her feet off the ground and twirled her around. In the process, she put her arms around his neck and giggled like a little girl. She was so soft and her fragrance so enchanting, he didn’t want to let her go. When he stopped twirling, their faces were inches apart and he gazed into her eyes. She glanced briefly at his lips before meeting his eyes once more. Did she want him to kiss her? Was she daring him to do it? If only he could read her mind.